Extinction Archives - Strategian: Science Magazine

Bird and insect populations are declining across the world; are they connected? What are the consequences for us?

March 17, 2026 Kevin Engel Intersections

Multiple studies from different regions around the world show bird and insect populations declining precipitously. Are these declines connected? What has caused them? And what are the consequences for human society? Would it be possible for us to help birds and insects flourish again? See the research … References: *Leroy, F., Jarzyna, M. A., & Keil, P. (2026). Acceleration hotspots of North American birds’ decline…

Extreme and unusual weather: United States Midwest — impacts, consequences

June 23, 2025 Kevin Engel Intersections

Immediate impacts: Immediate and longer-term consequences for people, agriculture, wildlife, etc.: Extreme weather and climate change: the connections and impacts Where are all the birds? What is a flash drought? An earth scientist explains Climate change and agriculture: damage to crops Increasing frequency of drought and decreasing yields for soybeans Higher temperatures will lead to additional crop damage from insects Climate change is intensifying the water…

Extinction and climate change

March 22, 2025 Kevin Engel Intersections

Earth’s climate is changing rapidly. No, it is not a hoax, not a projection for the future, not a scare tactic from whatever political or advocacy group that you or your favorite politician may not like. In our lifetimes, it has changed–generally growing warmer and often dryer, with daily weather more prone to extremes–winds, rain, snow, cold, heat, more destructive storms leading to more extensive…

The high costs of invasive species

September 5, 2023 Kevin Engel Intersections

“Species introduced to new regions through human activities are termed alien species. Invasive alien species represent a subset of alien species – animals, plants, and other organisms – known to have established and spread with negative impacts on biodiversity, local ecosystems and species. Some of the most problematic invasive alien species arrive through multiple introduction pathways and repeated introduction. Invasive alien species are recognized as…

Where are all the birds?

September 7, 2020 Kevin Engel Featured Article

Where are all the birds? Where have they gone? Even a cursory glace at the skies, in the trees, listening for bird sounds .,. there are fewer birds today in the midwestern US. What is the cause? Can the decline be halted? Or, is this the new “normal”? Featured articles: *Rosenberg, K. V., Dokter, A. M., Blancher, P. J., Sauer, J. R., Smith, A. C.,…

The sixth mass extinction on Earth

August 8, 2020 Kevin Engel Featured Article

Featured article: Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., & Raven, P. H. (2020). Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(24), 13596-13602. [PDF] [Cited by] “The ongoing sixth mass species extinction is the result of the destruction of component populations leading to eventual extirpation of entire…

Further loss of plant and animal species due to climate change may occur abruptly

April 15, 2020 Kevin Engel Featured Article

Earth’s climate is changing. No, it is not a hoax, not a projection, not something that may happen hundreds of years from now, and not some scare tactic from evil liberals. No, it’s really changing; it is happening right now. And, one of the consequences has been and is a loss of biodiversity–the extinction and disappearance of animal and plant species. “32% of all known…

Science highlights: human adult neurogenesis, and a fungus killing amphibians

March 31, 2019 Kevin Engel Science highlights

A new study provides further evidence that the adult brain in humans does grow new neurons (a process called neurogenesis) in the hippocampus–the section of the brain where learning, memory, and mood regulation is controlled. These new brain cells may play a role in depression, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, etc. Read the article (Karen Weintraub, Scientific American, 25 March 2019). And, go to the source —…